It was a grand departure ceremony that took place along the quays and beaches of Portsmouth one late day in April. Around the moored aircraft carrier task force, family members and interested residents swarmed, waving farewell to the sailors and officers on board. Several helicopters circled in the air, and a band played ceremonial music. On the bridge wing of the British air-defence destroyer HMS Dauntless, Nina Vinde stood in her dress uniform alongside a handful of officers, all scanning the crowd for their families.
“It was a magnificent send-off, and I felt a great sense of pride standing with the crew as we cast off. Getting the chance to sail with an aircraft carrier task force has been a dream of mine since I was an ensign,” says Nina Vinde.
With the flagship HMS Prince of Wales at the lead, closely followed by multiple destroyers and frigates, the task force that has set out on an eight-month-long mission is of significant size. For two months, Nina is part of the crew aboard the air-defence destroyer HMS Dauntless, and the Swedish Navy plans to participate with multiple rotations during 2025.
HMS Dauntless is a modern air-defence Destroyer of the Royal Navy.
Photo: Royal Navy
Presence is the new normal
The operation began in Portsmouth and will pass through the Mediterranean before heading to the Indian Ocean. For the Royal Navy, the mission is about showing presence in an area of great significance for Europe's continued security, while also maintaining freedom of navigation between the Atlantic and the Indo Pacific. It's a geographical region where Sweden is not typically active, and there is much to learn and bring home—from exercises to NATO’s air defence capabilities. These lessons will sharpen the Swedish Navy’s air defence competencies.
One of the first exercises carried out by the task force was MedStrike25 in the Ionian Sea, south of Italy, aimed at preparing the carrier strike group for its passage through the Red Sea—an area considered high-risk due to ongoing armed attacks by Houthi rebels.
“MedStrike25 was one of the most impressive exercises I’ve ever participated in. Two carrier strike groups met, totalling eighteen warships, two submarines, and numerous fighter jets, helicopters, and drones. It was incredible,” says Vinde.
Focusing on aerial targets
Nina's daily work takes place in the Air and Missile Defence Commander cell aboard HMS Dauntless. Her task is to monitor potential adversaries and gather new knowledge about NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD)—a defence system designed to counter threats from hostile actors with 360-degree coverage. The Swedish Navy is soon to be equipped with air- defence missiles, both on Visby-class corvettes and on future Luleå-class surface combatants. The experience Nina brings back from Operation Highmast will be highly valuable when this system is implemented in the Swedish Navy.